You Have That Power, Too
by spentlizard
Summary: "The circle is now complete." But that doesn't mean the story ends there. Instead, a new chapter begins, and a legacy lives on. Based on rumors/speculation concerning The Force Awakens. Rey's POV (mostly). One-shot.


The speeder kicked off with a burst of momentum, propelling itself across the desert floor. It was always reliable and efficient, able to get from one point to another and back in little time. Though, Rey remembered the grueling months she spent building the thing, and how meticulous and specific the schematic from the abandoned freighter was. Aside from all the effort in the actual building process, the tricky part was acquiring the right materials for the job. The design required a repulsorlift engine known as an Ikas-Adno Booster, which had the potential of generating enough speed to make the old T-16 Skyhopper eat dirt. Unfortunately, none of the markets or manufacturers on this side of Jakku had any in stock. One day, after about two months of searching, Rey came across an abandoned cruiser, whose markings indicated that it was Alderaanian by origin.

Rey, as anyone would be, was relatively surprised to see it. After the planet of Alderaan was destroyed many years ago by the Empire, the galaxy was left in a massive shock. How anyone could have the capacity to willingly destroy an entire planet and kill billions instantaneously was beyond anyone's imagination, and those responsible were to never be forgiven for their crimes (granted, most of those who were responsible had perished when the Battle of Yavin occurred, and thus didn't even have the opportunity to atone for their actions).

But Rey realized she was getting ahead of herself. What had also surprised her was the fact that she was standing in the presence of a piece of history. This cruiser was one of the few remnants of Alderaan, and she was staring right at it.

Did anyone else know about this? If they did, they probably would have hauled it to one of the markets and sold it for a good price. But Rey knew better than to sink down to that level. She was a scavenger, yes, but not a soulless one.

She had ridden by Dewback out into the desert to search for parts, and something in her head told her that she might have better luck by riding out a few kilometers more than she normally would have. Turns out her instincts proved to be correct; they usually were. The others back at the camp had always noted that Rey's sense of judgment was uncanny, as she would always know what to say and do in any given situation. Even among the older residents, they too acknowledged the fact that the girl showed a great amount of wisdom for her age, even if she was a little reckless at times. Whenever others would offer to aid her on her runs, she would almost always refuse, believing that she could take care of things herself. Rey was always an independent-minded individual, never actively seeking help from anyone. She was completely self-sufficient and relied only on herself, probably because she felt she didn't have anyone to rely on.

But that wasn't true. Not entirely.

She dismounted the Dewback and slung her staff over her shoulder, whereupon she began to approach the fallen vessel on foot. The ramp that led into the ship was shut, but it seems as if time and the merciless weather of Jakku had worn it down. Rey unsheathed her staff and gave the door a nice, solid thwack, and a large dent formed in the weak metal. She swung again, and the dent became larger. Another thwack, and the door broke apart, leaving nothing but a dust cloud hanging in the air and a dark entrance into the unknown.

Rey wrapped the protective bindings around her face, lowered her goggles, and switched on the light that was attached to them. She then cautiously entered the ship, staff raised, and tried to find anything that looked useful. Using the light, she was able to find a couple of power cells that could keep the generators back at the camp running, a few pairs of work gloves, and a couple of tools that would help her build the speeder. She still needed to find that engine, so she went to the rear of the ship to see if there were any that she could use. Rey went to the rear, and she saw that practically all of the smaller craft that the cruiser contained were either missing or destroyed. She kept searching, hoping that she could find it somewhere, but it seemed hopeless. It was nowhere to be found.

Rey sighed, and slumped herself against the wall of the cruiser. Another disappointment.

 _"Guess life's full of them,"_ she mused to herself.

She always wondered what was out there, beyond this planet that she had grown tired of. Surely something more interesting, at least. Rey hated this place. It was a barren wasteland with nothing more than sand and scum inhabiting it. She wanted nothing more than to just hop aboard the next starship that decided to take off. But she couldn't, not while the rest of the camp needed her. She would never abandon them, no matter how badly she wanted to leave. To her, they were the only family she ever knew.

Rey had a million questions and few answers about where she came from. The only things she knew for certain were her name, the fact that she was a human (being significant because there were very few humans in the camp), and she was seemingly abandoned as an infant, indicated by the fact that an unnamed Bothan, mortally-wounded from a blaster shot to the neck, arrived holding the girl in his arms and died without giving any explanation. Some of the others had their own theories about where she came from, claiming that she was the sole survivor of an attack on a distant village by scavengers that had occurred many years ago. Others claimed that the Bothan who arrived with her was some sort of convict or mercenary who was trying to evade the authorities, and had planned to use the child as leverage. One person, who had by then moved onto the next life, speculated that she was of great importance. Of what, exactly, remains unclear. As far as Rey was concerned, she was no one. Just another form of life in the massive universe that she seemed incapable of ever exploring.

Still, she couldn't help but think that there was someone, or _something,_ waiting for her, just beyond the stars. She also couldn't help but wait for whatever-it-was to come to her. Maybe it was her true calling reaching out to her, beyond the life of a simple scavenger. Maybe she was waiting for her family.

But Rey had to be realistic about things. She never knew her family, and now she was a young woman, and she seriously doubted they'd be looking for her after so many years, if they were still alive. Still, it couldn't keep her from hoping. Hope is all that she had, despite the fact that self-reliance was all that she knew.

 _"The front,"_ a sudden thought occurred to her. That's right! She had forgotten to check the cockpit, even though from previous experience she had seldom found anything in that area. Getting up, she trudged her way over the heaps of worthless scrap to reach the cockpit, and, after much effort, forced the door that led into it open.

The cockpit itself looked relatively empty, but after roughly a minute of searching, Rey looked underneath the copilots' seat, and there it sat: an Ikas-Adno Booster, jury-rigged to the control panel that was linked to the hyperdrive.

Rey gave off a sigh of relief, glad that she had found what she was looking for at last. Once again, her instincts proved to be as correct as they've ever been. She was a little freaked out about it herself how luck always seemed to find her like that. Still, that didn't undermine how satisfied she felt knowing she had accomplished her goal.

She had begun to fit her storage net around the engine when the smell hit her nose. It smelled like something musty and old.

She turned her head to the source of the smell, and saw that there was a pile of bones sitting in the pilot's seat.

Rey felt sweat form on her brow, and her knees became numb. She had seen dead bodies before, just not on a regular basis. This body was not recent by any measure; in fact, based on the age of this ship, it must've been there for over thirty years. It was little more than just a couple of bones, but it was just something she had not anticipated seeing that day.

She saw that the skeleton was wearing an old, worn-out and dusty military uniform. From what she could make out, Rey figured that this must've been a member of the Rebel Alliance from back in the day, because the Empire must've destroyed Alderaan for a reason. Why else would an Alderaanian ship be here if not to escape Imperial clutches?

Then, Rey saw something out of the corner of her eye, and it looked like an old piece of paper sitting in the pilot's jacket pocket. Gingerly, she reached for the paper, carefully unfolded it, and saw that there was a message written on the one side.

 _Leia,_

 _If you are reading this message, then that means that we received word of your capture at the hands of the Empire, and you have been freed by the rescue party who gave you this letter. First, let me assure you that I am perfectly alright. Your mother and I are doing just fine, albeit worried about your absence. My hope is that you are safe and secure with my men, and they will help you deliver the Death Star plans either back here, or to the rendezvous point on Yavin IV (if the Empire hasn't gotten their hands on them already). Whatever happens from this point on, you promise that you will keep on fighting. I know that it is a difficult time, but I need you to be strong. Not for me, not for just anyone, but for the entire galaxy. I won't be around forever, and when I'm gone, you will have to take my place and lead the Rebellion to victory. For too long has the galaxy lived under the tyrannical rule of the Emperor and his armies, and it is time for us all to rise up and fight back. I know it seems like a massive responsibility to bestow onto a young woman, but I'm confident in your abilities as a leader and believe you are the last hope of the Alliance. You will live on, this I swear._

 _To help you in combating the Empire's increasing threat, I have sent an item of importance with my men, which they will give to you. It once belonged to one of General Kenobi's closest confidants, Qui-Gon Jinn, who entrusted me with it shortly before he went into exile. It is a powerful weapon, and represents a sect of people whose stance in the galaxy is more important than you could possibly imagine. It's hard to explain on paper, so when you find Kenobi, he will explain its importance and what it represents, and how to use it, along with your dormant abilities. Hopefully, the both of you will come across an individual named Luke, whose survival is just as crucial as yours, and in time, through Kenobi's guidance, you will come to understand what the both of you can do. You have a special gift, Leia, and you need to embrace it for the good of the galaxy._

 _You are of great importance to the Rebellion, but of even more importance to me. You are the light of my life, my beacon in the darkness, my hope in my despair. I love you. May the Force be with you._

 _Your father,_

 _Bail Organa_

Rey didn't realize that she had tears running down her face by the time she had finished reading. She had probably read the very last document that this man had ever written. What's more is the fact that she held it in her hand, meaning his daughter never even got his final message; never got a chance to hear him say goodbye.

Or, maybe...

Maybe she felt sadness because she saw what a father's love looked like. She had seen in words exactly how much he cared for his daughter, and how prepared he was to die knowing that she would be safe. Rey wishes she could've had that, someone who actually cared about her as opposed to just finding her useful.

Wiping away the tears, Rey tried to wrap her head around some of the other components of the letter. There were a lot of concepts that were unfamiliar with her, and she took a moment to process it all.

She had no clue who this Bail Organa was, other than the fact that he seemed to have been a leader in the Rebel Alliance. He sounded like someone deeply patriotic, willing to die for his cause if need be. Probably did.

What was this "Death Star" thing? From the letter, it sounded like some kind of weapon, but what could it do? What did the Emperor want with it? Is it the very weapon that destroyed Alderaan in the first place?

Who was this General Kenobi? He sounded like someone that Organa could trust, but he was in exile somewhere. Where had he gone? Was it forced exile? What made him so important? And what was this "powerful weapon" that Organa described?

Then came the matter of Organa's daughter, Leia. She was in Imperial custody, and this rescue party was sent to free her. But it seems as though they never got to her. Rey didn't know if this Leia was still alive, and she shuddered at the thought at what the Empire might've done with her. She still had plenty of questions to ask, like what were these "dormant abilities" she had. She could only guess what those were. And why did the name "Leia" seem familiar?

She reread the last couple of lines, and her attention was directed at another name, someone named Luke. Apparently, he had the same "abilities" that Leia did, but what were they? What made them so special? More pressing, however, was the familiarity that Rey felt when she read the name "Luke." It wasn't the same familiarity she had felt with "Leia"; it was something more intimate, more personal. The thought of his name sent shivers down her spine, which she never felt all that often. It felt like something cold, like something out of a dream... or a nightmare.

Rey felt it best to not dwell on it, for that would only make her feel worse. Instead, she moved on to the last part of the letter.

What was the Force? It was capitalized, so it had to have been something important, right? Was it some kind of religion? Was it related to these "dormant abilities?" Rey's mind kept on racing with more and more questions, none of which she could get a definite answer to. But, like with Luke, she felt the same sort of familiarity, a connection if you will, to "the Force." It's like she's never heard of it, but has. She doesn't know it, but does. As if it was just a repressed memory or something. It should mean nothing, but it doesn't. It continues to linger, even after she tries pushing it out. It's like a part of her that she never knew existed, but she always lived with it.

Realizing she would probably never know all the answers to her questions, Rey tucked the letter inside her pouch for safekeeping. She then began to fit the rest of the net around the engine, pulling the straps tight around the end. Then, as she was getting ready to lift the engine, she remembered what Organa had said about a "powerful weapon," and it was probably still aboard the ship. Though she wasn't too fond of weapons, she was curious as to what it was, and began to search for it. After a few minutes of careful searching, she couldn't find anything that resembled a weapon, and the letter didn't give any indication as to what it looked like. Was it a blaster? A blunt instrument? A knife?

Then, after checking the pilots' seats again, Rey saw something that she didn't notice before. It was a small, metal cylinder attached to the dead pilot's belt, with grooves etched into the handle, making a scalloped handgrip design, and a red switch of some kind.

" _What is this?"_ she thought. It was a strange looking instrument, resembling a broken hydrospanner somewhat. Cautiously, Rey reached forward and grabbed the item from the belt, and held it firmly in her right hand.

Despite it's small size, the cylinder had quite a bit of weight to it. In a matter of seconds, though, she got used to the weight, and shook it around slightly with ease. Now, she just had to figure out what to do with it. There wasn't any manual or guideline for how to operate it, so it was basically guesswork. Logically, she assumed that the red switch is what activated it, though she was hesitant on doing so because she had no idea what this thing was capable of. It could blow up the ship for all she knew.

But, there's never been reward without risk; Rey had learned that the hard way. So, eventually, she decided to turn on the switch and see what happened.

A high-pitched swooshing sound engulfed the room, and a bright beam of light shot out of the cylinder.

"GAAHH!" was all she could say as she leapt back in terror; she had not anticipated this. As she made an effort to regain her breath, her eyes were locked on the weapon she was holding.

The swooshing noise had died down to a low-pitch hum, in addition to the bright light dimming itself to a less-blinding state. The blade itself was a meter long, and colored a brilliant shade of green.

"What is this thing?" Rey asked aloud to no one in particular. She stared unwavering into the bright green blade, her fear fading into fascination. As she listened to the blade's lulling hum, she saw that this weapon had a certain elegance to it, as it indicated some form of nobility or the likes of which. She waved it around slightly, listening to how the hum changed pitch depending on how much force she used. Despite it being a weapon, the sword had a certain beauty about it, and, strangely, a sense of familiarity. Rey knew she had seen something like this before, or at least heard about it from somewhere. Back at the camp, she heard stories about how there were people from long ago who carried special types of swords, and used them to protect the galaxy from evil. Could this be one of the weapons from those stories?

Rey continued to wave it around, noting its grace and balance as she gripped it firmly in her hand. There was just something about this sword that seemed so... familiar. It's green blade was like some distant thought that had long since died, but suddenly sprang back to life, with just as much vigor as-

Her thoughts were cut off as the sword accidently sliced through the top of the pilot's seat, leaving the headrest to fall to the floor. Rey gasped in slight shock, and looked as the metal was glowing with a molten orange color. The blade was like a stable, continuous blaster bolt that retained its energy and power no matter what it came in contact with. Now she knew why this thing was considered to be powerful.

Rey decided that she was done here, and released the switch of the sword, deactivating it as it made another swooshing noise (this time in reverse to the ignition, almost like a suction). She saw that there was a small metal loop at the bottom of the hilt, and attached the weapon to the open hook on her belt (there had previously been a pair of macrobinoculars there, but they had been broken when she was exploring a destroyed spice freighter once). Afterwards, she lifted up the netted engine that she had came here for and carried it out to the Dewback, tying the net along the saddlebags. Once it was secure, she mounted the creature and began to make her way back to camp.

Rey had set out looking for an engine. Instead, she had discovered much more than she could've possibly imagined. Irrefutable proof that there was something out there, beyond the desolate wastelands of Jakku. Something bigger than herself.

But she had no idea exactly what she was beginning to get herself into. She had taken her first step into a larger world.

* * *

Whatever Rey was uncertain of in the galaxy, the one thing she was certain of was her name. She knew not where it came from, for the Bothan that brought her never said a word to anyone before dying, and the people of the camp never gave her a name, but she knew that it was hers. For as long as she could remember, her name was Rey, and she wouldn't have it any other way; it was the only thing about herself that she truly knew.

That being said, her exploits that day opened up a whole universe of possibilities for her. Even finding the smallest bits and pieces of information about the outlying star systems filled her head with imaginations and ideas of what life could be like if she ever left this rock. It wouldn't be a definite way of finding out about her past, but it was a sure way to discover her future.

When she returned to camp, night had fallen, and Rey hauled the engine from the Dewback over to her tent, which looked to have been undisturbed while she was gone. It wouldn't always happen, but occasionally some kriffers would come and try to loot the place. Rey looked down at her belt, watching the weapon swaying slightly against her hip, and she smirked, knowing that the next people who came around to steal from her were in for a real surprise.

As she stepped into the tent, Rey turned on one of the lanterns hanging from the top, illuminating the confines of her "home." She had a single-bed, with a single pillow and a blanket that barely kept her warm on cold nights, a chest filled with some more clothes and a couple of other items, and a table where she had all of her mechanical endeavors laid out in an unorderly pile. Some of the parts to the speeder that she had already acquired were there, as well as a half-finished drill and pair of macrobinoculars that she was repairing for some of the other residents. One of her talents included the fact that she was a natural with mechanics, and, as such, the community mostly depended on her when it came to building or fixing things. She was happy to help, especially if it meant she had a few extra credits in her pocket.

But Rey was exhausted from the day's events, barely able to keep her eyes open for much longer. She would finish the drill and the binoculars tomorrow, along with working on her speeder some more. But for now, she had to sleep.

She pulled off her gloves, goggles, and bindings and threw them onto the table. She then took her staff off her shoulder and rested it in the back corner of the tent. Afterwards, she turned off the lantern and climbed into her bed, pulling the covers over herself and trying to fall asleep.

As she closed her eyes, Rey tried to imagine life in the galaxy to the best of her ability. She pictured large freighters and cruisers traversing their way across the stars, speeders travelling the surface of magnificent cities, systems teeming with other life forms, starfighters engaging each other in thrilling combat, and anything else she could think of. The mere thought of adventure and excitement put a grin upon her face as she drifted into a calming slumber.

* * *

 _The room itself was quite large and luxurious, boasting walls that were a brilliant shade of light blue and furniture fit for royalty. The sun shone through the gigantic windows and engulfed the room in it's welcoming presence. Out the window, there were buildings that were bigger than frigate ships that seemed to go all the way up to the atmosphere, and craft that flew in organized rows in the sky._

 _Rey turned her head upward, and she saw a woman gazing down upon her. Her presence felt warm and comforting, and Rey smiled when she saw her. Her hair was dark brown, just like her own, and it covered her forehead and framed the sides of her face, and it was drawn into a single braid in the back. Her cheekbones were high, her lips were full, and her eyes were a vivid shade of green. They stared down at Rey, and she stared back with her hazel eyes._

 _The woman's lips broke out into a wide grin, showing her perfect, white teeth. Rey felt overwhelmed by her radiant and cheery nature, and began to smile even wider. Part of her wanted to cry in joy, but somehow she resisted._

 _"Hi," she whispered softly._

 _Rey wanted to respond, but when she tried to get the words out, she couldn't for some reason._

 _"How're you doing?" the woman asked in a tone that sounded like she was talking to a child._

 _Rey still wanted to respond, but all she could do was smile wider. Eventually, she giggled, but when she did, it didn't sound like her own voice. It sounded like it belonged to a baby._

 _"You're good? Of course you're good," the woman said in a caring way, "You're the best good in the entire galaxy."_

 _Rey really wanted to cry right now. No one had ever spoken to her this way before. In fact, who was this woman?_

 _But, just as if on cue, the woman answered in a response she was not ready for._

 _"Mama loves you," she said._

 _Rey felt a wave of shock engulf her conscious mind. Was this woman really her mother?_

 _She wrapped her arms under Rey's back, and lifted her up to meet her warm embrace. She rocked her steadily in her arms, humming some tune that had a name that escaped her mind._

 _Rey couldn't believe what she was seeing. She didn't know whether to be more surprised that she was seeing her mother, or the fact that she was being taken care of by someone else for a change. She never wanted to let go of this woman; she wanted to hold on for the rest of eternity._

 _The door to the room opened, and her mother turned to face the doorway, leaving Rey to stare at the wall behind her._

 _"Hello. How was your day?" her mother asked._

 _"Better now that I've seen you," the voice of a man said. His voice had a youthfulness and zeal to it, but there was a hint of sadness and something rough in it as well._

 _"Aw, aren't you sweet?" her mother said to the man, "Any new updates?"_

 _"The campaign on Ryloth is going well; Wedge tells me that Veers' forces will surrender soon enough. He also says the place reminds him of Hoth, except even colder," he said._

 _"Well, it'll all be over soon enough; the remnants of the Empire can't last forever, right?" her mother asked._

 _"No, but we should still be weary, because every time we think we've won a huge victory over them, the Empire always blows more smoke in our faces," he said, flustered._

 _"Enough about the campaign," her mother said, wanting to change the subject, "Tell me, how did it go at the Temple?"_

 _"It went fine," the man explained, "the Younglings made some real progress with the remote droids today. Kanan decided to take another one on as his new Padawan."_

 _"That's great," her mother said, "but I'm getting the feeling that something's not right."_

 _The man sighed, and he sat down on a piece of furniture, indicated by the plopping sound Rey heard._

 _"It was_ him _again," the man said, a tinge of sadness creeping it's way into his voice, "He failed the remote test, and he got frustrated and destroyed the droid with his lightsaber."_

 _"Oh my," her mother said, worried, "Did you talk to Han about it?"_

 _"Nah, he's busy arranging the importation of arms from Ord Mantell. I'll tell him about it later," he sighed again._

 _"Why do you think he keeps having these outbursts?" her mother asked, "Didn't you try meditation with him?"_

 _"I did, but he's uncooperative. I've got a bad feeling that he has too much of my father in him," he said._

 _"In this instance, I hope you're wrong," she said._

 _"Yeah, I hope I am, too," he said, "but I'm done rambling on about my day. How've you been?"_

 _"My day was fine," her mother answered, "I've just been taking care of Rey."_

 _So it was true; her name was Rey, and she had actual confirmation of it at last._

 _"And how was she?" the man asked._

 _"She's been good today," her mother said, "You should've seen her earlier; she was extremely playful. She is just the greatest."_

 _"I wouldn't doubt you on that for a second," the man said, "May I see her?"_

 _"Go right ahead," her mother said, walking over towards the man. She pulled Rey out of her embrace and put her in the man's arms, whereupon Rey looked up and saw his face._

 _He was young; maybe a few years younger than her mother. His hair was a sandy-blonde color, his cheekbones were average, and his eyes were a gentle shade of blue. His face had an even gentler expression, and a boyish grin danced at his lips._

 _Father?_

 _He leaned forward and kissed Rey on her forehead, sending warm feelings to her heart. It was too much for her to handle. She felt like she was going to cry so bad, but she couldn't. She had no control over what she did._

 _Her father wrapped his left arm under her, pulled his right arm off, and Rey saw that his hand was covered in a black glove of some kind. He pulled it off using his teeth, and she saw a mechanical hand sitting where a flesh hand would be._

 _Rey eyed the hand in near horror. It was made of metal, but eerily shaped like a skeleton's arm. She was wondering what had happened to his real hand when, suddenly, he lowered the hand down to her face and stuck his artificial thumb into her mouth. Rey didn't feel very comfortable with this, but, almost instinctively, she began to suck on the metal. The act of doing so calmed her nerves slightly._

 _Her father's grin widened to reveal his own teeth, which were as bright as the sunrise on Jakku. From what Rey could tell, he looked like he was the happiest man in the universe. His presence alone was soothing, and there was no doubt in her mind that these people she was with loved her with all their hearts._

 _The feeling was overwhelming. Rey never felt loved by anyone in her entire life, and now she was in the warm embrace of her parents._

 _After a while, her mother spoke up, saying, "I think it's time for her nap, Luke."_

 _Luke?_

 _The images in front of Rey began to fade, becoming more blurry by the second._

 _"No, wait! Please! Don't go! NO!" she screamed inside her head as her mother and father disappeared from sight, but no amount of noise was bringing them back. They had slinked away to the confines of darkness._

 _"DON'T LEAVE ME!" she begged._

* * *

"GAAAHH!" Rey screamed as she bolted upward on her bed. No sooner had she shouted out loud that a tremendous wave of clanking and crashing noises came from within the confines of her tent.

Rey struggled to catch her breath, breathing heavily from what had transpired inside her head. Beads of cold sweat covered her forehead, and she could feel it on her back as well. Though she had experienced more than her fair share of sweat under the Jakku sun, rarely was the sweat ever cold.

She looked at the floor of her living space, and she saw that practically all of the tools and pieces of tech were strewn across, along with her chest and staff.

Rey was trying to figure out what had happened. She was sure she had secured the tent, and if someone had managed to break in, she would've known about it before they had a chance to scurry. She observed the walls and entryway of the tent, and saw that they were all secure and undamaged.

 _"But if no one broke in, then how did this happen?"_ she thought to herself, taking note of practically all of her possessions that made the place look more like a dump than it already was.

Getting up, Rey started picking up the pieces of tech on the ground and began setting them back on the table. So far, it looked as if nothing was damaged or stolen whatsoever. Still, the question of how nagged at the back of her mind.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps from behind her. They were slow, but Rey could tell that, whatever it was, it was getting closer. She felt the hair on the back of her neck raise, and the front flap of the tent flipped upward.

Without hesitation, Rey grabbed the weapon attached to her belt and ignited the green blade, quickly spinning around and holding it up to whoever just walked in.

It was Teedo, another scavenger who lived within the camp. He was a green-skinned creature who's species name even he didn't know.

"Dammit, Teedo!" Rey cursed, extinguishing her weapon, "I could've killed you just now!"

"Yes, I could tell," Teedo deadpanned, gulping.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Rey asked, putting the sword back on her belt.

"I heard you screaming, and then I heard a loud crash. I came to make sure you were alright," he answered.

"I'm fine, thanks," she said gruffly, part of her mind still lingering onto what she saw in her dream.

"You don't look it," Teedo observed.

"Since when did it become your business to be concerned with my well-being?" Rey questioned irritably, before she realized she had acted irrationally. Sighing, she said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to lose my temper like that."

"It's fine, it's perfectly fine," Teedo brushed it off, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really, no," Rey responded, looking away.

"I see," he said, eyes darting towards the metal cylinder that had nearly killed him a few seconds ago, "Where did you get that?"

"What?" Rey asked, turning to face him.

"That," he gestured towards the weapon.

Rey's attention darted to the hilt of her weapon, and she lightly touched the handle with her fingertips.

"Found it," she said half honestly, as she began putting more items back on the table.

"Lucky find, I take it," Teedo suggested.

"In my experience, there's no such thing as luck," Rey scoffed.

"I've seen one of those before, you know," he said, and the girl's eyes focused on him.

"You have?" she asked, curious.

"Indeed," Teedo said, smiling, "Some years ago, I saw one in action on Malastare. Some gambler had it in the betting pot for Podracing, who said he got it from a merchant who got it from a smuggler who got it from some guy on Coruscant. It looked a lot like yours, 'cept that it was purple instead of green."

Rey got up and went over to her bed, sitting down and holding her hands together, listening eagerly.

"He ended up losing the bet, and the guy, rather than accept losing, just takes the blasted thing and starts to demolish the place," he said, grimly, "I was there when it happened."

"Oh my," Rey gasped, "that's horrible."

"That's life. Or death, rather," Teedo said with a light chuckle. He pointed at the weapon again, and said, "That thing you have there, it's not a toy."

"I'm not a child; I know it's not a toy," Rey said matter-of-factly.

Teedo coughed, and then he sat himself down in Rey's work chair by the table.

"It's called a lightsaber," he said, and Rey's eyes widened.

"A _lightsaber,_ you said?" she questioned. She had just heard that in her dream not too long ago.

"Yep," Teedo said, "They were the weapon of choice for the Jedi."

"The Jedi?" Rey asked.

"They were a group of individuals dedicated to protecting the galaxy and preserving the peace. They existed long ago," he said, "That is, before the Empire wiped them out."

"Why would they do that?" Rey continued asking.

"Because they were the only ones that could threaten their power. The Emperor had them all hunted down and slaughtered, and they were all but extinct at that point," Teedo said.

Rey looked away for a second, unsure of what to say to this information.

Teedo sighed, and then said, "The man who went crazy on Malastare, he killed a fair amount of people, but he himself was eventually cut down by blaster fire. From what I can tell, these weapons are supposed to defend against that sort of thing."

"What's your point here?" Rey asked.

"My point is that he was untrained and didn't know how to use it, but the Jedi were. That weapon can cause a lot of harm, but it can also do a lot of good if you use it properly. And I'm not just talking about technique and form, I'm talking about using it the Jedi way, which was for knowledge and defense, not attack," Teedo said.

"And why should I listen to you on this?" Rey asked.

"Well, if you plan on keeping the lightsaber, I think you should learn how to handle it properly, don't you think?" Teedo asked with a smile.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Rey admitted.

Teedo stood up from the chair, and he said, "Whatever's troubling you, don't let your emotions get the better of you. This place will eat you alive if you give it an inch."

"Understood," Rey responded honestly. She knew this fully well; if you showed one sign of weakness, you were as good as dead. She was always good at keeping her emotions in check, but today had changed that.

"Okay," Teedo said, "I'll leave you to sleep now. Goodnight, Rey."

"Wait," Rey said, "Before you go, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," he complied.

"Do you think dreams can... show you the past?" she asked, trying to be as unassuming as possible.

"I think they can, in a way," Teedo answered, "But I think that maybe dreams can show you how you feel about the past, and possibly the future."

"The future," Rey repeated, "Thanks."

"Anytime. Goodnight," he said.

"Goodnight, Teedo," she yawned as he stepped out of the tent.

Rey took the lightsaber off her belt and stared at it. It was a powerful tool, but she knew that she wasn't going to misuse it. She would teach herself to use it properly, just like the Jedi, and only use it in case of emergency.

She cleaned up the rest of her living space, crawled back into bed, and stared blankly into the dark ceiling of the tent. What Teedo had said to her started to clash with her dream, and it all felt so strange. Finding the lightsaber and the letter earlier had most likely left influences on her mind, causing her to have the dream she did. She knew that it was all just a figment of her imagination, but it all felt so real to her, like it was some sort of elaborate, complex memory that was being repressed for so long.

Still, Rey laid down on her pillow, trying to push out the memory of the dream and go to sleep.

However, the dream would replay in her mind, over and over and over again. For the next several nights, she would relive the experience, being in the loving care of her parents every time she closed her eyes.

But she remained calm. After the first one, Rey had learned to keep her emotions in control during her dreams. She didn't get distressed, she didn't wake up screaming, she didn't have sweat all over her, and she definitely didn't feel like she was being abandoned.

However, that didn't keep the occasional mechanical part or tool from floating around inside the tent.

* * *

Kylo Ren had felt a great disturbance in the Force.

Something had happened. This feeling was unlike anything he had felt before. Even with the power of the Dark Side, he couldn't understand what was going on. The Force was speaking to him, but the words were jumbled and misguided in translation. It's as if a massive surge of Force energy had been released upon the universe.

More than just the power, the Knight of Ren felt a familiarity with this occurrence. It was a presence he had not felt since...

"My Lord," a First Order officer had appeared at his left, "His Supreme Highness wishes to see you now."

Ren said nothing, merely staring at him with his expressionless mask, and walked through the doors to the Supreme Leader's private quarters. Walking forward, Ren only stopped when he was around ten feet from a shadowy alcove in the back, and he kneeled down before the figure obscured by the darkness.

"What is thy bidding, my master?" Ren asked.

"There has been an awakening," Snoke said, "Have you felt it?"

"Yes," the apprentice answered.

"Someone else has unlocked their potential, and they need to be taken care of," the master ordered.

"Understood," Ren answered.

"No, you do not," Snoke answered bitterly, "This individual has the potential for achieving more power than either of us do."

"How is that so?" Ren asked.

"I do not know," Snoke responded, "but even you have never faced such a task. You will need the support of all of your Knights if you are to accomplish this."

"Yes, master," Ren complied, "What would you have me do?"

"Bring this person to me alive, if possible," Snoke ordered, "Whoever this person is, they could prove a boon to both the Dark Side... and the Light."

"I will ensure this person will either join us or die, master," Ren said.

"You have been well trained, my apprentice, but do not underestimate the power of the Force," Snoke warned.

"I won't," Ren promised.

"Good," Snoke said, "Now, go and fulfill the mission that Lord Vader began, and remember always that the Dark Side is your ally."

"Yes, master," Ren said, and left the room without another word.

* * *

Rey had finished her speeder a few weeks ago. She had been using it to reach new locations that the Dewback could never have been able to reach quick enough. She had taken off from the camp the one day to search the abandoned ruins of an Imperial Star Destroyer, and, after a bit of scavenging, she was just about to go back to the camp when she saw something in the sky.

It looked like a TIE fighter, and it was crashing down to the planet's surface.

Without hesitation, Rey got on her speeder, and kicked off with a burst of momentum towards the fighter, heading into the unknown.


End file.
